How are you saving money ?

Personally, I think it is going to be a long time, if ever for our economy to really improve. I know it seems like many times for every step forward some days it is 10 steps back. It can be quite frustrating for sure. But fixing extras when you cook so you have left overs, especially for lunch, if you will eat them is a Great thing. I know we tend to do a lot of this.

i haven't really tried saving much. to be honest. i have planned on doing so but sometimes my daily budget is just not allowing me to do so. =( oh well i am just thinking that i am not able to save because the truth is i am giving a huge portion of my salary to the household and there is just me who is responsible for the payment of bills,etc. =( ill save soon even with the crumbs of cash left with me, i'd save as much as i can with that.

I think i have quite a few right now that have changed things i no longer run my own business so i no longer have all the expenses like rent and employees and stock as well as utilities and phone I cut back my cell phone package from 279 a month to 125 a month - this includes 10gb of data and unlimited long distance. I drive 2 minutes to work instead of 45 minutes...fill up once or twice a month rather than 2 or 3 times a week opened a new account in my new town so theres no foreign bank transactions from atms. splitting costs - my bf pays mortgage on the house and the phone bill where i am paying power water and some of the propane. we share costs on groceries. living up north now cost of living and all other stuff is higher but im even less inclined for making impulse purchases because their sale price is normal price back home... i put a blanket on before i resort to turning up the heat

Hubby spent part of today shopping around for new insurance quotes and found a way to save us $25 a month on car insurance. Although I'm not pleased about having Direct TV, that is saving us over the cost of cable. When I cancelled cable they cut my internet bill by about $10 a month because I complained about their service. As for power, I'm keeping the thermostat on 68, which is actually low for us.. normally I leave it on 70. We have electric space heaters in a lot of our rooms to keep warm.. as electricity costs less than the gas that runs the furnace. Other than that, there's not a whole lot I can do to try to save money. As you know kids are very wasteful and will leave lights or electronics on even when nobody is in the room.. or use an entire roll of toilet paper for no reason.. stay in the shower for an hour without even getting clean. You know. Don't even get me started on my food bill!

Garden, it is good to hear you are trying your best to cut-down on your electricity expenses. as for us here, we don't switch on the water heater when bathing, during hot weather. Because the water seems slightly hot during that time. We buy things that are necessary first. Those are not necessary, will only be buy if only we are really needs it. Even we cut out the eating out, since it is expensive. We prefer to buy more on fresh veggies, fruits, meat and cook on our own. Although we don't save much but at least we still got some cash in hand for emergency use.

Thanks for this discussion in great details, to save money on electricity we are using CFL lamps only, i use the air-conditioner but switch of in between,water heater is used rarely , my wife makes some items from left over food that can be taken as breakfast next morning

My huband and I are doing our grocery shopping at a store that awards points, and several times a year we get $200 in free groceries. We also stick to one hotel chain when traveling in Canada in order to get points and save money by earning free stays.

I am sure you are right, and the economy will not be fixed very quickly. One thing we have done in our house is to boil the kettle and put any left-over hot water into a good thermos flask - that way you get hot water next time without having to boil the kettle. it is worth knowing the types of equipment that use a lot of electricity: Kettles can be up to about 3 Kilowatts (3,000 watts) Microwave ovens are up to about 1KW, but thankfully they are not used for very long. more efficient than electric ovens which are sometimes a couple of KW Irons also use a lot of energy - really bad news if you leave your iron on longer than needed... It might be worth you checking the power consumption of your heated mattress pad! Things that generate heat are the big energy users, probably electric heaters are the worst because we tend to leave them on for long periods. I used to leave computers on overnight, but worked out that I could save about £100 a year by turning them off (we have a gadget from our electricity supplier that tells me exactly how much power the house is using - right now it says 455 Watts...) That's two computers and the fridge freezer and all the stuff on standby - hang on, I'm just going to turn off the other PC... it's down to 300 W now... At work, I used to buy lunch each day, but now a colleague and I put a small amount each week into a pot, we go to the supermarket every day and buy bread, meat and sometimes cheese or pate to make sandwiches. We always go to the special offers and can feed ourselves for a week by spending very little. After a few weeks where we spend a bit less than we are putting into the pot, we treat ourselves to a proper cooked lunch with the spare money... Not only are we saving a fortune compared to just going out and buying a 'lunch', every so often, we get to treat ourselves too.

We live in a small apartment, and still have 2 air conditioners in the windows. We use the heater in the kitchen; it's on the opposite wall from the bathroom and helps to heat it a bit. I'm planning to buy covers for the units if Jim doesn't remove them from the windows. I wear a t-shirt, heavy sweatshirt, sleep pants and socks most of the time in the house, rather than use the heater. I'll also turn off the main television (a 60" projection television) sometimes during the day. I would love to convert the bulbs in the apartment to fluorescent ones, but the first one I tried didn't work-I think the wiring is too old. So I'm trying to get lamps that I can use the bulbs to save some energy. I am seeing improvements in the economy here and there, but it's still quite slow. Perhaps the election showed the politicians just how much they butted heads instead of working and we'll start to see them working together. Both major parties have some good ideas-maybe they can learn to compromise more and get some things done!

Well, one thing I noticed today was that gas prices are down again. I went driving for the first time since I was hit with BPPV a week ago and noticed that the gas prices were down 10 cents a gallon from the week before. Not much but it's something! I try to save water by using bath water to do hand laundry in or saving a bucket of it to wash my floors. I've also been washing more by hand and less in the washing machine. Whenever possible, I dry clothes outside and put things that need "fluffing", like towels or jeans, into the dryer for 10 minutes to fluff only once they've dried outside. That saves more than anything else I do, I must say. I've also read a lot of things that say microwaving costs a lot less than using the oven. It may pull in more electricity while it's running but the time saved more than compensates.

I do quite a lot. Electricity is higher here than you pay in the US so I am the the one who is turning off bot water etc and turning off the electric stove.I unplug everything that is not in use except my one extrvagence - I need the tv on to fall asleep My main saving in detergent is to use half of the recommended amount by the manufacturer. It is just not necessary. Everything is on a cvold wash and also a short wash. I try not to use the drier unless there is a lot of rain. I use it for the twins to get their uniforms dry when it rains. I do not use the ac in bedroom but a large ceiling fan that is on a longer thingy so it is nearer to my bed but not dangerous. I do not buy imported fruit or vegetables but this may now be necessary as all our agricultural sector has been demolished. For myself - I buy powdered skim milk and reconstitute it with water several times a week as it s half the price of fresh skimmed milk. The twins have whole milk still. Our menus for food are pretty basic too. Probably some other things but this is all that I can think of at the moment. Oh, I do not buy exensivde cleaners. I ostly use vinegar and water for the floor tiles and diluted hydrogen peroxide for everything is disinfect and clean. No tile cleaner for showers etc.

I agree that the economy is not going to get better. At least not in such a way that will help those of us who are actually poor. I have started, last month actually, keeping track of where every penny is being spent. Now that I have had to take on the responsibility, once again for providing a home for my kids families it has become necessary that I become a money tyrant. Let me tell you it was a real eye opener. I did have one thought on what you said about your house. If it is a big house and only a few of you live there no doubt there are several rooms that you don't use at all. Heating those rooms is a foolish waste of resources. Decide which rooms you don't need and close the vents in those rooms. also place a thick towel or something similar over the vent to make sure no stray heat is getting through because sometimes the vanes in the vents get bent and seal well. Then close and lock the doors to those rooms and hang a blanket over the door to keep any heat from getting in under and around the door. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much more comfortable the rest of the house feels and how much mony you can save on your heating bill.

I never think of 'saving' when I manage my house. It comes naturally to me to put off lights when they are not required, repair a leaking tap without delay, stop the flow of water and use it only when all the vessels are scrubbed and ready to be rinsed - I have trained my maids to do it that way. All my used water is directed to trees. No food is wasted in my house excepting when Preiti my pet decides to leave something in her plate that goes to the compost pit anyway. Talking of the compost pit, all kitchen waste goes there. As you know my garden is my hobby and I do not produce anything there to sustain me financially and yet I try to sell whatever I get there. Drops make an ocean may not be necessarily for me but those deprived around the world. I believe in that butterfly effect.

Saving money, especially cutting down on my expenses is pretty hard. But, I try my best to do so. Every weekday, I try not to take a cab going to work but instead, take public transportation since it's cheaper. You see, I have a hard time waking up early and I end up rushing before work, thus forcing me to take a cab when I go to work. Also, since my place of work is not that far from the apartment, I walk after work. I used to spend a lot of my salary on eating out but now, I try to prepare my own food. Last but not the least, I try to avoid the malls during paydays, because temptation to buy something new especially when I had just received my pay, is really very strong and I end up buying more than I planned for. I try to visit the mall once in a while, when I feel like buying something I really need, but I try to go there at a time not close to payday, since it restricts me in a way. I hope some of my tips can help.

After reading through all the responses, I don't have much to add! I layer clothing and keep the thermostat down, too, make my own laundry soap, eat leftovers, shop the sales, etc. One thing I didn't see mentioned was saving water. I don't use a dishwasher because they waste water and they take electricity to run, too. I hand wash dishes in about 3 - 4 gallons of water. I take short showers (and there's a way to wash your hair and take a shower in about 2 gallons of water), and I use water leftover in a glass to water house plants, along with melted ice cubes and even leftover tea. Saving money seems to be a never ending quest and there are so many ways to save. It's an attitude more than anything. Don't waste anything and you'll save money.

I have my thermostat set to 65 and boy am I cold. I bought a water filter, and so do not have to run the water to get all the sedimnent off. I also pull some of the plugs, bug that is all I do. REeally not miuch.

Our economy won't get better, unfortunately. I save money by doing all you do, plus clipping coupons, being a member of every loyalty program the grocery stores offer, and gardening and canning my own food as much as possible. I eat 3 meatless meals a week, two meals where meat is an ingredient not separate, and one dinner with meat as an entree on it's own. When it comes to staying warm, I wear hats and fingerless gloves in the house, and I wear layers of clothing. Right now I'm wearing 3 shirts, pantyhose, jeans and sweats over the jeans (it's cold in Washington State!). While most men won't wear pantyhose under their clothes, my other half picked up that trick from me years ago, and it makes a big difference, as does always wearing a knitted cap. When I lived in a big house instead of a drafty, uninsulated travel trailer, we closed off the unused rooms and sealed off the doors with sheet plastic-- when we needed them, we rolled up the plastic and aired them out. Flannel sheets make a big difference too, even with a heated mattress pad. I also only drive once a week now, and do all my errand then, planning the route in advance. When the other half is here and has to commute, he fills up the tank early in the day or late at night-- colder it is, the more gas fits in the tank. I have cut back on doing laundry as well-- every night when I get changed, I hang my clothes out in a sheltered area to "air clean" as my grandmother called it. Getting the breeze blowing through them takes out any smells. I also use half the laundry detergent recommended, and soak my clothes for 10 minutes before I start the wash cycle. I have discovered that with my home mad laundry soap, I end up using only an ounce for a regular load that way. I re-use my vacuum cleaner bags-- I can get 3-4 uses out of one. I use a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid fabric softener on a damp washcloth instead of a drier sheet. I collect cans, too. Everywhere I go, I grab cans. Here, they aren't worth much, but every bit helps. There are 18 large cans, or 28 12 oz. cans, in a pound-- and on errand day, I'll usually end up with 2 or 3 pounds.

We used to go out and eat quite a bit. I love junk food. But recently we have quit going out as much. Good for all of us. Trying to be a better role model for my grandson. We do save on electricity by keeping the heat down and bundling up more. We same on gas by only going when we need to and not driving around as much. I know my route and I don't deviate from it. We get the cable and Netflix instead of going out to a movie too. That saves us alot per month. And during the month when ever I have $1 dollar bills I save them and any change I get. Then toward the end of the month when we need alittle extra we have it. I think alot of little ways make up big savings if you are consistant. Happy Saving and Mylotting.

With the cost of living is escalating,Everyone is thinking of how to save money.I admire you for the way you are careful with your money.My wife wears the trousers in our home.I may well say she is a good housekeeper.Just as what you have done,We hardly eat out unless we give an entertainment to someone.My granddaughter lives with us.She drinks the soya-bean milk every day.We make it at home and the bean dregs is my favourite food.Besides,My wife sews most of our underclothes.

We avidly use coupons, matching sales and stocking up when the price is right. We repurpose things as much as we can, and of course get replacement programs on big ticket items so that if something goes wrong we can get it fixed on the cheap. With having 6 kids, a huge rented house, and one income every cent counts.